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A new blueprint introduced by the U.S> House Democratic Caucus Task Force on Aging and Families on will make long-term care and affordable seniors housing a priority for future pandemic relief. The blueprint includes:  

Three members of Congress recently asked 11 assisted living companies to detail their case counts and strategies related to COVID-19, including their use of personal protective equipment, testing, visitation polices, and sick leave, family leave, medical leave and hazard pay offered to employees. LeadingAge and Argentum used this call for information as an opportunity to push the federal government to prioritize assisted living operators for PPE and other resources to combat COVID-19. 

Congress is working on its next COVID-19 funding package and now is the time to raise our voices to support affordable senior housing. Join us to urge Congress to provide funding and support for affordable senior housing, including a $1.012 billion package of relief funds for affordable senior housing:   

The U.S. Housing & Urban Development (HUD) and the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) this week delivered presentations on their interim guidance on facility cleaning and disinfecting for COVID-19.  

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently announced that, with State approval, Medicaid-certified nursing facilities are eligible to receive up to $3,000 to purchase communication technology that will enable residents to conduct virtual visits with family and friends and to participate in telehealth visits.  

The State of Minnesota yesterday released an unusual budget update to measure the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the state budget. As anticipated, the economic slowdown tied to the COVID-19 response is projected to have an enormous impact with the state now anticipating a deficit of $2.4 billion for the biennium.  

During its April 22 COVID-19 call, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) noted that Stratis Health would be working with selected nursing homes to assess COVID-19 readiness – as a supplement to the infection control focused surveys MDH is doing around the state. 

Alternative Adult Day Services received federal approval last week. The Minnesota Department of Human Services has released Bulletin 20-25-01 to provide guidance on Alternative Adult Day Services. These services include:  

LeadingAge Minnesota is participating in an effort that will soon begin recruiting people interested in long term care through Caring Careers Start Here. 

Even when you can’t give live tours of your building, there are a lot of things you can still do to keep your prospects engaged and promote the positive stories happening within your senior living community.  

LeadingAge Minnesota’s Leadership Academy 2020 Class of Fellows has been selected and will convene on May 13. In this extraordinary year when nothing is business-as-usual, this cohort will have the distinction of being the first to begin their journey via virtual conferencing technology.  

This week we share three links to resources we shared in the past week: Basic Care Aide, a Cohorting Messaging Toolkit, and Responding to Negative Views in a Pandemic.  

We are taking over a week traditionally dedicated to skilled nursing and focusing it on all senior care settings! A new resource will help you celebrate caregivers, and support residents and families during Long Term Care Week that takes place May 10-16.  

In this time of the COVID-19 pandemic, there are instances when residents are cared for by new or temporary staff or need to be transferred without family to accompany them.  As staff work to provide the best possible care to residents, a brief information sheet about the individual that can be kept in the person’s room or apartment for easy reference can be very helpful.  

A newly-formed Democratic task force in the U.S. House is pushing Congress to immediately distribute $100 million in funding to aid infection control efforts in senior care settings. Among the priorities:  

According to a news report, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will be direct shipping PPE – masks, gowns, gloves, eye protection – to every one of the 15,400 nursing homes in the nation.  While this forthcoming action is welcome, it is not nearly enough. It is unacceptable to not provide PPE to ALL senior care and living providers.   

Senator Karin Housley, chair of the Minnesota Senate Family Care and Aging Committee, called on Governor Tim Walz’s administration to immediately implement guidelines for widespread testing at the state’s long-term care facilities.   

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) is conducting focused infection control surveys in Housing with Services (HWS)/Comprehensive Home Care communities.  

Knowing what PPE to use continues to be one of the most frequently asked questions we hear from members. A new chart from MDH brings clarity to this hot topic. 

LeadingAge Minnesota is excited to announce that Kari Everson, RN, BSN, MSN, MHA, LNHA, has officially joined our team as our Director of Clinical Care and Nurse Consultant.  

As testing COVID-19 testing ramps up in Minnesota, many providers have requested guidance about when and how employers can require their employees to undergo testing. 

Efficiently and effectively train caregivers using the new Basic Care Aide Curriculum from EduCare – available at no cost to all providers in Minnesota. 

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) has issued guidance and clarification relating to nursing assistant training requirements, providing flexibility on hiring and training practices for caregivers in skilled nursing facilities during the COVID-19 emergency. Today we provide clarification on what this means for providers and share news of a new Basic Care Aide position we are creating with a FREE curriculum for members.  

The U.S. Senate yesterday approved $484 billion to provide from the effects of COVID-19. The bill includes $75 billion for personal protective equipment, $25 billion for testing and $310 million in additional funding for the Paycheck Protection Program. It is no clear at this time whether the funds for PPE will be prioritized for nursing homes and assisted living.  

The Minnesota Department of Human Services has posted an updated form and FAQ about reimbursement for COVID-19 related costs on the Nursing Facility Provider Portal.  

This week we link you to six tools we provide over the past week: Surge Assessment; updated decision trees for the Confirmed Case Checklist and Managing a Resident Admission from a Hospital; a flow chart of E-FMLA and E-PSL; new guide for Independent Living and Housing with Services; and a messaging and letters to the editor for adult day providers. 

Adding humor and lightness to daily staff messages or sharing with your residents can help during the COVID-19 crisis. Based on a member request, we’ve found a few resources that could inject some levity into your day and for your team.  

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is accepting applications for $200 million in funding through the COVID-19 Telehealth Program. 

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) last week announced seven nursing homes have been approved for moratorium exceptions construction projects in the latest round of available funding. Ten of the eleven submissions, and six of the seven selected, were LeadingAge Minnesota members so we are excited to see their interest in improving the environment for the people they serve.  

In a move to support services and staffing in response to COVID-19, the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) issued guidance to lead agencies regarding EW customized living rate protocols.